This is a massive conservation achievement with first-ever “three-peat” hatchlings in North America
The Fort Worth Zoo, an American Humane Certified™ zoo, is celebrating a major conservation success with the third annual hatchings of the gharial crocodile. The Zoo remains the only institution in North America to have produced multiple offspring of this species of crocodile and is the only North American institution to have repeated this process for three consecutive years.
According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Gharials are critically endangered, adding to the significance of this conservation success. The gharial crocodile is critically endangered for a variety of reasons including habitat destruction, pollution and river fragmentation, making it challenging for gharials to survive in their native habitats.
The back-to-back-to-back sets of gharial hatchlings are the product of nearly 15 years of dedicated effort to successfully reproduce this species, grow the population and diversify the gene pool. The Zoo’s gharial habitat, located in the Museum of Living Art, was specifically designed in 2010 to promote conservation successes like this. For now, the hatchlings will remain behind the scenes at the Zoo for close monitoring of their growth and development.
Source: The Fort Worth Zoo
The Fort Worth Zoo has been American Humane Certified™ since 2017. American Humane Society’s rigorous certification program helps ensure that when visitors see the Humane Certified™ seal, they know that the facility meets our high standard of animal care.
We want to congratulate the Fort Worth Zoo on this success and their commitment to both animal welfare and conservation initiatives.
